In today’s high-inflation economy, FREE is good. Here’s a list of classic, older shooting books that can be downloaded for FREE from Google Books. This list includes many classic treatises on rifle marksmanship that still have value for today’s competitive shooters. In addition, we’ve included notable, illustrated firearm histories, such as Townsend Whelen’s fascinating book, The American Rifle, and The Gun and its Development (9th Ed.), by William Wellington Greener.
In the list below, the title link will take you to the Google Books page for each book. You can read the entire book online, or (in most cases) you can download it to your computer as a PDF file and save it (or print it). You can also create your own Google Library and save the books there for access from any computer.
To download a book, first click the title from the list above. Then, on the Google book page, look for the row of buttons under the book title. Click the “Download PDF” Button. This will load the full book as a PDF into your browser. You can then save this to your computer or tablet hard drive. Choose a location to hold your new e-book, and click “save”. Alternatively, click the blue “READ for Free” button and the book will appear right on the Google site, with navigation (forward/back) arrows at the top of the page.
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In today’s inflationary economy, FREE is good. Here’s a list of classic, older shooting books that can be downloaded for FREE from Google Books. This list includes many classic treatises on rifle marksmanship that still have value for today’s competitive shooters. In addition, we’ve included illustrated firearm histories, such as Townsend Whelen’s fascinating book, The American Rifle, and The Gun and its Development (9th Ed.), by William Wellington Greener.
In the list below, the title link will take you to the Google Books page for each book. You can read the entire book online, or (in most cases) you can download it to your computer as a PDF file and save it (or print it). You can also create your own Google Library and save the books there for access from any computer.
To download a book, first click the title from the list above. Then, on the Google book page, look for the row of buttons under the book title. Click the “Download PDF” Button. This will load the full book as a PDF into your browser. You can then save this to your computer or tablet hard drive. Choose a location to hold your new e-book, and click “save”. Alternatively, click the blue “READ for Free” button and the book will appear right on the Google site, with navigation (forward/back) arrows at the top of the page.
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In today’s economy, Free is good. Here’s a list of classic, older shooting books that can be downloaded for FREE from Google Books. This list includes many classic treatises on marksmanship that still have value for today’s competitive shooters. In addition, we’ve included illustrated firearm histories, such as Townsend Whelen’s fascinating book, The American Rifle, and The Gun and its Development (9th Ed.), by William Wellington Greener.
In the list below, the title link will take you to the Google Books page for each book. You can read the entire book online, or (in most cases) you can download it to your computer as a PDF file* and save it (or print it). You can also create your own Google Library and save the books there for access from any computer.
*To download a book, first click the title from the list above. Then, once you’re at the Google book site, look for the icon that looks like a gear in the upper right-hand corner. Click that and a pull-down menu will appear. Select “Download PDF” from the menu — this will bring up a security question to make sure you are a human. Respond to the security question correctly and your normal download prompt will appear. Choose a location to hold your new e-book, and click “save”.
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Christmas is coming soon. Books have always been popular holiday gifts. If you haven’t completed your holiday shopping, here are some recommended titles that should please the serious shooters and firearms enthusiasts on your shopping list. For shooting clubs, books also make great end-of-season member awards. Most of us would rather have a useful book than one more piece of wood to toss in a box in the closet.
Here Are TEN BOOKS Recommended for Serious Shooters:
Glen Zediker’s latest book, Top-Grade Ammo, is a great resource for all hand-loaders — beginners through advanced. This 314-page guide covers every aspect of the reloading process — component sorting, priming, sizing, bullet seating and more. With 430 photos, Top-Grade Ammo is a richly-illustrated, step-by-step guide to producing high-quality handloads. Unlike many reloading books, Top-Grade Ammo is current and up-to-date, so it covers modern practices and the latest precision reloading tools. While Zediker focuses on producing match-grade ammo for competition, this book will also help novice reloaders on a budget. This book features a special “lay-flat” binding so it’s easy to use as a benchtop reference. To view Chapter List and sample pages visit ZedikerPublishing.com.
If you’re a serious long-range shooter, consider adding this book to your library. Relying on extensive ballistics testing, Modern Advancements contains some fascinating research results, including the effects of twist rate on muzzle velocity, BC, and precision. Other sections detail the evolution of modern rifle, bullet, and optics designs. And there is an important comparison test of chronographs. Laser rangefinders and wind measurement devices are explained in detail by contributing author Nick Vitalbo. This book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to understand the current “state of the art” in today’s shooting world. There is a ton of “hard science” in this book — not just opinions.
Thinking of getting started in the Practical/Tactical shooting game? Looking for ways to be more stable when shooting from unconventional positions? Then you may want to read Marcus Blanchard’s Practical Shooter’s Guide (A How-To Approach for Unconventional Firing Positions and Training). Unlike almost every “how to shoot” book on the market, Blanchard’s work focuses on the shooting skills and positions you need to succeed in PRS matches and similar tactical competitions. Blanchard provides clear advice on shooting from barricades, from roof-tops, from steep angles. Blanchard says you need to train for these types of challenges: “I believe the largest factor in the improvement of the average shooter isn’t necessarily the gear; it’s the way the shooter approaches obstacles and how they properly train for them.”
Nancy Tompkins is one of the greatest long-range shooters in American history. She has won five National Long-range Championships. Tompkins’ treatise is a must-read for serious Palma, F-Class, and High Power shooters. The revised Second edition includes F-Class equipment and techniques, and newly updated information. Color pictures. Topics include Mental & Physical training, Reading Wind & Mirage Shooting Fundamentals, International Competition, and Loading for Long Range. Nancy Tompkins is a 4-time winner of the National Long Range Championships, and has won countless other major events. Nancy has been on six Palma Teams (as both a shooter and a coach).
Ryan Cleckner is noted for his ability to explain complex topics in an easy-to-comprehend manner. Now Cleckner has authored a book, the Long Range Shooting Handbook, which expands on the topics covered in Cleckner’s popular NSSF video series. The Long Range Shooting Handbook is divided into three main categories: What It Is/How It Works, Fundamentals, and How to Use It. “What It Is/How It Works” covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles. “Fundamentals” covers the theory of long range shooting. “How to Use It” gives practical advice on implementing what you’ve learned, so you can progress as a skilled, long range shooter. You can view Sample Chapters from Ryan’s Book on Amazon.com.
Tony Boyer, the most successful shooter in the history of short-range benchrest competition, shares many of his match-winning tips in this 323-page book. The book covers all aspect of the benchrest discipline: loading, windflags, rest set-up, addressing the rifle, and match strategies. This is a high-quality publication, filled with valuable insights. Every serious benchrest shooter should read Tony’s book. Boyer has dominated registered benchrest in a fashion that will never be duplicated, having amassed 142 U.S. Benchrest Hall of Fame points. The next closest shooter, Allie Euber, has 47 Hall of Fame points. This handsome, full-color book is 323 pages long, with color photos or color illustrations on nearly every page.
This book should be on the shelf of every short-range benchrest shooter. (Shooters in other disciplines will find the book helpful as well.) Butch Lambert says Mike’s book is “far and away the best Benchrest book written. Very comprehensive, it touches on every aspect of our game.” Mike’s 368-page book is dedicated to getting the most from modern rifle accuracy equipment with an emphasis on shooting 100-200-300 yard group benchrest tournaments. This book covers the most popular hardware plus new equipment offerings are covered, including external mount scopes, actions, triggers, stocks, wind flags, and more. Also covered are rifle handling techniques, note taking, tuning, bullet selection, goals, and match strategies. Mike provides many tips that will help active competitors update their own competitive program.
This book by 11-time National High Power Champion David Tubb focuses on position shooting and High Power disciplines. Section One covers fundamentals: position points, natural point of aim, breathing, triggering mechanics and follow-through, sling selection and use, getting started, getting better, avoiding obstacles. Section Two covers mechanics of offhand, sitting, and prone positions. Section Three covers shooting skills, including wind reading and mental preparation. Section Four covers the technical side of shooting, with extensive disuctions of rifle design, load development, reloading barrel maintenance, and rifle fitting. We consider this book a “must-read” for any sling shooter, and there is plenty of good advice for F-Class shooters too.
Bullseye Mind (Mental Toughness for Sport Shooting) by Dr. Raymond Prior, $14.00 (Softcover).
Having a Bullseye Mind means thinking in ways that create confidence and consistency, even under pressure. A “must-read” for competitive shooters, Bullseye Mind is a mental training book written specifically for the shooting sports. The book is well-organized, with handy highlighted lists and key “talking points”. Each chapter concludes with examples from a world-class shooters such as: Matt Emmons, 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist; Vincent Hancock, 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist; Jamie Corkish, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist; Petra Zublasing, 2014 World Champion/ISSF Shooter of the Year; and Nicco Campriani, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2010 World Champion. This book has earned rave reviews from competitive shooters who found it really helped their “Mental Game”. One recent purchaser states: “This book is as though you had a coach in your back pocket…”
Cartridges of the World (15th Edition, 2016), belongs in every serious gun guy’s library. This massive 680-page reference contains illustrations and basic load data for over 1500 cartridges. If you load for a wide variety of cartridges, or are a cartridge collector, this book is a “must-have” resource. The latest edition includes 50 new cartridges and boasts 1500+ photos. The 15th Edition of Cartridges of the World includes cartridge specs, plus tech articles on Cartridge identification, SAAMI guidelines, wildcatting, and new cartridge design trends. In scope and level of detail, Cartridges of the World is the most complete cartridge reference guide in print. Cartridges of the World now includes a 64-page full-color section with feature articles.
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Here’s a good deal — Creedmoor Sports is offering free ground shipping this weekend to celebrate Independence Day. Buy all you want from the Creedmoor Sports website, and ground shipping is FREE, from Friday, July 1 through Monday, July 4th, ending at midnight Pacific Daylight Time.
AUTOMATIC DISCOUNT: Creedmoor’s free shipping discount is automatic. You don’t need to enter a coupon or promo code during online checkout. Just make your purchases and the shipping will automatically be free. For more info, or to place an order, visit www.CreedmoorSports.com or www.CreedmoorAmmo.com.
This 4th of July weekend special applies to Creedmoor’s full line of shooting accessories — everything from range supplies and reloading components, to gloves, slings, gun cases and targets, and much more. Along with FREE Shipping (contiguous USA only) Creedmoor is offering 10% off shirts, 10% off Anschutz shooting coats, and 15% off books.
The Free Shipping offer also covers Creedmoor-brand ammo, which is very good stuff. Creedmoor rifle ammunition is offered in popular centerfire calibers from .223 Rem to .308 Win, with numerous load options. Creedmoor pistol ammunition is offered in .380 Auto through .45 ACP, with many bullet weight/type options.
Creedmoor Ammunition is made from all new, top-shelf components (no cheap or reclaimed components) and every round is hand-inspected. Creedmoor ammunition is loaded in state-of-the-art AmmoLoad machines that are typically run at half the recommended speed to produce a more uniform, consistent load.
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Are you looking for some outdoors-oriented reading material? Do you enjoy classic hunting adventures from around the globe? Then log on to the NitroExpress.com Forum. There you’ll find links for literally hundreds of vintage hunting stories, and even complete books, such as Teddy Roosevelt’s classic African Game Trails and Good Hunting, plus the wonderful book African Campfires by Stewart E. White, one of Roosevelt’s close friends and hunting companions.
Among the downloadable titles are The Man-Eating Lions of Tsavo (leaflet edition) by Lt.Col. J. H. Patterson, the true tale that inspired the Hollywood movie, The Ghost and the Darkness, staring Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer. The online version of the Man-Eaters of Tsavo book (right) is a shorter, 140-page edition created for Chicago’s Field Museum, which purchased the skins of the lions from Patterson and put them on display.
Christmas is just a few days away. If your’re looking for a good gift for a serious shooter, consider a book. A well-written book can serve as a valued resource for many years. Right now Creedmoor Sports is running a special Holiday Sale on many popular book titles. Here are 12 book items on sale, and you’ll find more discounted books at CreedmoorSports.com.
Shooting Books on Sale at Creedmoor Sports
Shots Fired In Anger, $20.00 on Sale
(Reg. $27.95), Item BK-SFA Hatcher’s Book of the Garand, $24.00 on Sale
(Reg. $29.95), Item BK-HBG Ways of the Rifle, $59.00 on Sale
(Reg. $74.95), Item C1289 Handloading for Competition, $31.00 on Sale
(Reg. $34.95), Item C1286 David Tubb’s Highpower Rifle, $24.00 on Sale
(Reg. $29.95), Item C1251
Service Rifle Slings, $13.00 on Sale
(Reg. $14.95), Item BK-SRS Air Rifle Shooting, $59.00 on Sale
(Reg. $73.95), Item AHG3980 Precision Shooting with M1 Garand,
$9.00 on Sale, (Reg. $12.95), Item C1270 Mental Training in Shooting, $39.00 on Sale
(Reg. $48.95) Item AHG8299 Slings and Things, $18.00 on Sale
(Reg. $19.95), Item BK-SAT
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In the spirit of the season, German Salazar offers this gift to our readers: free books. In his Rifleman’s Journal blog, German notes: “I can think of no better gift than knowledge, in this case knowledge of the early days of ballistic science, organized competitive shooting, the NRA and much more.”
Google, a company we all know for its internet search service, has undertaken a massive project known as Google Books under which they are scanning and making available millions of out-of-print books with uncertain copyright ownership.
Below you will find a list of books, each with a clickable title link and brief description. The title link will take you to the Google Books page for each book. You can read the entire book online, or you can download it to your computer as a PDF file and save it (or print it). You can also create your own Google Library and save the books there for access from any computer. Most of these books are hundreds of pages long, so consider your paper and toner supply before printing!
The Bullet’s Flight From Powder to Target, Franklin W. Mann, 1909, 384 pages.
This is the original and still widely read and highly regarded book on internal and external ballistics. Dr. Mann was a tireless experimenter and had the resources to pursue his interest with the best equipment available. A close friend of Harry Pope as well as other notable experimenters in the early days of smokeless powder, Mann’s work is thorough and well documented. If you’re interested in ballistics, this is the foundation that you must know in order to understand the ensuing century of work in that field.
Irish Riflemen in America, Sir Arthur Blennerhassett Leech, 1875, 216 pages.
This book chronicles the Irish rifle team’s trip to America in 1874 to compete against the best of America’s riflemen as organized by the Amateur Rifle Club of New York when the fledgling NRA ignored the Irish challenge. The book also includes a great deal of history of Irish target shooting and an account of a hunting trip in the American West by members of the party. Well worth reading.
The American Rifle, Townsend Whelen, 1918, 637 Pages.
Townsend Whelen was — and remains for many of us — the dean of American firearms writers. Here is a man who truly did it all and wrote about it with the authority of experience and the modesty of a true gentleman. Despite his roots in Philadelphia society, Whelen sought outdoor adventure and hard living and he found it; we are all richer for his ability to document it so well. This book, written immediately after (and during) the Great War gives a great insight into the period from a rifleman’s perspective: equipment, reloading, shooting — it’s all here. A long book and worth every page.
Suggestions to Military Riflemen, Townsend Whelen, 1909, 243 pages.
Townsend Whelen’s pre-war book on marksmanship which brought him to national prominence in the military establishment. Whelen, who coached the national championship winning Army rifle team at Sea Girt in 1906, covers all aspects of shooting the Model 1903 rifle, including long-range shooting. There is also an appendix covering the Krag-Jorgensen as it was still used by various state guard units at the time. Positions, sights, zeroing, windage, score books, slow-fire, rapid-fire, long-range, ammunition, vision; it’s all here. Every topic you see covered in a modern book on marksmanship was covered by Whelen in this book. You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been — this is a “must read” for the serious marksman and student of history.
Modern Rifle Shooting From the American Standpoint, W. G. Hudson, 1903, 155 pp.
Dr. Hudson was one of the leading lights of the early smokeless era (as well as the Schuetzen era), a contemporary and friend of Mann and Pope, Hudson was a tireless investigator of all things related to accuracy. This very hard to find book is an introduction to target shooting with a detailed overview of equipment and practices and is well illustrated with many plates of top level equipment of the day; a real gem.
Manual for Rifle Practice: Including Suggestions for Practice at Long Range, George Wood Wingate, 1879, 303 pages.
Wingate was the central figure in the founding of the National Rifle Association of America. Like Whelen’s manual 30 years later, Wingate’s book was adopted as the training manual by many military organizations. An authoritative view of marksmanship instruction in the day of the Trapdoor Springfield, Sharps, Remington Rolling Block, and Peabody military rifles. Includes diagrams and instructions for their care.
How I Became a Crack Shot — With Hints to Beginners, W. Milton Farrow, 1882, 204 pp.
Milton Farrow was one of the top shots of his time. Well-bred and highly educated, modesty was not among Farrow’s virtues. This makes for entertaining reading as he describes his travels and his many shooting accomplishments. The Hints for Beginners section has advice that remains sound even these many years later.
The Gun and its Development, William Wellington Greener, 1907 (8th Ed.) 786 pages.
Originally published in 1881, Greener’s book covers all aspects of the firearms world at that time and this 8th edition has many updates. While much of the text focuses on shotguns, there is a great deal of other material in this massive tome, including coverage of gunpowder and explosived, pistols, rifles, target shooting, rifle clubs and much more of interest to the modern rifleman. Many great period advertisements at the end will make you wish for a time machine!
Cartridge Manufacture, Douglas Thomas Hamilton, 1916, 167 pages.
This book is a well-written, technical presentation of small arms cartridge manufacturing during the Great War. An inside look at all processes at the Frankford Arsenal including case manufacture, bullet manufacture, loading and packaging. A useful historical treatise on the topic.
The Boone and Crockett Club has digitally re-mastered a series of classic hunting and adventure books. Works from Theodore Roosevelt, William T. Hornaday, Charles Sheldon, Frederick C. Selous and others are being converted to high-quality eBook versions for Kindle, Nook, iPad and other eReaders. Unlike many of older hunting and adventure books available elsewhere for eReaders, the B&C Classics series has been professionally converted to high-quality, true-digital publications. Many come complete with vintage photos and drawings not found in other editions.
Two titles are available right now in the new B&C Classics series: African Game Trails and Camp-Fires in the Canadian Rockies. Five more titles are in the works. Each book in the series was authored by a Club member in the late 1800s or early 1900s.
African Game Trails by Theodore Roosevelt. This edition includes over 100 photos, drawings and maps from the original publication as well as bonus images not found in other editions. B&C eBook price: $9.99
Camp-Fires in the Canadian Rockies by William T. Hornaday and John M. Phillips. Account of British Columbia horseback adventure with Hornaday and Phillips. Includes rare stereo camera photos. B&C eBook price: $9.99.
Other Titles Planned for Future Release:
Wilderness of the Upper Yukon by Charles Sheldon
A Hunters Wanderings in Africa by Frederick C. Selous
Big Game Shooting in Alaska by Arthur R. Dugmore
Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail by Theodore Roosevelt
In Brightest Africa by Carl Akeley
How to Purchase
These “digitally-remastered” classic B&C titles are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the Apple iBookstore. Or, you can purchase direct from the Boone & Crockett online bookstore. A buyer is entitled to download the purchased publication and view it either on a computer or offline with an eReader compatible device such as a Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, iPad, or netbook.
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Believe it or not, 90% of non-academic printed books are sold in the last quarter of the year. If you are considering purchasing books for your own gun library or as gifts for family members or friends, we’ve just made your life easier. Over the past few years, we’ve compiled a list of the best-written and most informative books for rifle shooters and precision hand-loaders.
You could spend days compiling your own list and then tracking down all these different titles. Or, with one click, you can find it all in one place in our new AccurateShooter virtual bookstore. We’ve teamed up with Amazon.com to provide the top titles at very competitive prices. All order-taking, payment processing, and shipping is handled by Amazon. We’ve just saved you the effort of finding the best titles.
Shown below are some of the most popular titles we carry. Use the arrows (lower right) to shuffle books from back to front. Click on a book jacket to get more info or start shopping. You’ll find dozens more quality gun-related titles in our Shooters’ Bookstore.
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MidwayUSA has knocked $1.50 off the prices of LoadBooks reload manuals for three of the most popular centerfire calibers: .223 Rem, .308 Win, and .30-06. As discounted, these manuals now cost $5.49 (regular price $6.99). In addition, the most popular pistol load manuals are also marked down to $5.49 (9mm, .38 Spl, .357 Mag, 40sw, and .45 ACP, .45 Colt).
All of these caliber-specific reloading guides are packed with information from major US bullet- and powder-makers including Accurate, Alliant, Hodgdon, Hornady, IMR, Lyman, Nosler, RCBS, Sierra, Speer and Winchester. LoadBook manuals are printed on heavyweight paper and spiral-bound so they will lay flat on any surface. Most load manuals have about 54 pages. NOTE: since most of these manuals have not been updated within the last 5 years, you won’t find the latest bullet designs or recently-introduced powders such as Hodgdon Hybrid 100V or Alliant Reloder 17.
.223 Rem
.308 Win
.30-06
1555 Tested Loads 58 Bullets, 40 Powders
1940 Tested Loads 80 Bullets, 42 Powders
2138 Tested Loads 83 Bullets, 59 Powders
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In today’s economy, Free is good. Here’s a list of older shooting books that can be downloaded for FREE from Google Books. This list, created by German Salazar, includes many classic treatises on marksmanship that still have value for today’s competitive shooters. In addition, we’ve included illustrated firearm histories, such as Townsend Whelen’s fascinating book, The American Rifle, and The Gun and its Development (9th Ed.), by William Wellington Greener.
In the list below, the title link will take you to the Google Books page for each book. You can read the entire book online, or you can download it to your computer as a PDF file* and save it (or print it). You can also create your own Google Library and save the books there for access from any computer.
*To download a book, first click the title from the list above. Then, once you’re at the Google book site, look for the icon that looks like a gear in the upper right-hand corner. Click that and a pull-down menu will appear. Select “Download PDF” from the menu — this will bring up a security question to make sure you are a human. Respond to the security question correctly and your normal download prompt will appear. Choose a location to hold your new e-book, and click “save”.
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